Spring structure



April 28, 1942. H. HoPKE SPRING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 27, 195'] 2 SheetsSheet l INVENTOR ,713 /7 a %es. M M

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H. HOPKES SPRING STRUCTURE .April 28, 1942.

Filed Oct. 27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Aprl 28. 1942 uu rso STATES PATENT caries (or. sister My invention relates to spring units, and particularly to s wherein the springs are supported on resilient trips to provide additional re sillency to as his.

Hereto'fore when constructing box springs, bed springs, seats, and, the like, the springs were mounted on rigid elements and the resiliency oi the assembled unit could be attributed directly to the resiliency cf the springs. -The springs were usually of the helical type. providing a variation in deflection in the presence of increased uniform loading.

While practicing my present invention I utilize a resilient support for the coil springs and there- I by provide additional resiliency to the assembly.

The top surface of the unit is sensitive to light loads, while under henvier loads the deflection decreases in an inverse ratio. This is very essential in bed springs since an appreciable deflection will be present when the bed spring is cocupied byv a small child. and a greater deflection in reduced proportion to the increased weight of an adult is likewise obtained.

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A strong base frame is formed of a channel .vide supports for the resilient strips upon which the springs are mounted. The resilient strips are preferably of sinuousiy formed wire, such as illustrated and described in the Karl Kadin Patent No.

2,002,399, issued May 21, 1935, under which the assignee of the present application is a. licensee. The spring is bent back and forth. in a zig-zag manner is to provide a dot strip which is rolled on a mandrel of small diameter to provide a set to the strip on an arc of smaller radius than the radius of the are the spring strip assumes when secured to the frame. In this arrangement the strip, after assembly. resists downward deflection and thereby provides a resilient support for the coil springs secured thereto. I

In another formof the invention the sinuous spring strips may be disposed above the basestrip to form the top of the spring assembly and joined by coil springs to the lower base strip at the point of intersection of the two. Additional spring elements are extended from the main strip at the side edges to provide asprlng edge to the assembly.

In a further form which my invention may assume, the coil springs may be omitted by emplaying a double span of the spring strips with additional strips extending therefrom to provide soft'edges for the assembly and to thereby form a spring assembly whepein the coil springs are entirely eliminated.

Accordingly, the main objects of my invention are to provide a resilient support for the coil springs of a bed spring, box spring, or the like; to provide a bed spring, box spring, or the like with. resilient spring strips which intersect each other at an angle and separate the strips by coil springs which are secured at said points of intersection; to form a bed spring, of an inwardly presented channel or angle base frame having resilient strips disposed thereacross to form a support for the coil springs; to form a box or bed spring from a channel element having strips of resilient material extending between the sides thereof and strips of material disposed thereabove oi arcuate shape with the ends secured to the frame and spaced from the first said strips by coil springs; to form a soft edge to a box spring, bed spring, or the lik having arcuate spring elements, by resilient elements projected therefrom and having the outer ends resiliently supported; to form a spring unit from arcuaw resilient elements disposed between a central brace and outer. side elements of a frame and hav-. ing resilient elements projected from the resilient strip with their ends spring supported to provide a soft edge for the assembly; and ingeneral, to form a spring unit from a plurality of resilient strips secured to a base frame which is simple in construction and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be either specifically pointed out or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of my invention to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a broken plan view of a bed spring embodying features of my invention; I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of th structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig, 1, taken on the line 3-3 thereof;

Fig. 4 is a. view of structure, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, showing a modified form thereof; and,

, frame.

disposed 'channel braces ll interconnect the;

longitudinal sides of the frame l and form supports for a plurality of spring strips l2. The spring strips I2'are constructed of wire bent'in zig-zag form and provided with a set on an arc of smaller radius than the radius of the are which the spring assumes when'securedl to the Tabs i3 may be pressed out from the flange in the frame l0 and in the cross-braces l I as illustrated more particularly in Figs. 2 and 3 for securing the strips l2 thereto. The strips I2 form a support for a plurality of spirally formed coil springs I, the base of the springs being hogrlnged, clipped, or otherwise secured thereto.

The tops of the springs II are joined in a conventional manner by a plurality of crossed springs l to form a unit top assembly, with the outer springs l4 hog-ringed or otherwise secured to a wire elem'ent I6.forming the border edge of the top surface of the unit. The endmos't crossbraces II are joined to the end portions of the frame I by central braces I! which resists the action of the resilient strips l2 from bending the frame or the cross-brace. The central crossstrips 26 disposed across the top of the springs and secured thereto by hog-rings 28. Between each of the pairs of strips 26 a strip 29 is secured to the coil spring ll having .the outer end Eonnected to a spring 3| which may bea jack spring as herein illustrated, a coil spring or the like for resiliently supporting the end 'of the strip 28.

The plurality of strips 29 are'joined to the border wire it and provides a resilient edge for the braces have a balanced pressure provided thereto by the springs'disposed on either side thereof.

The top spring wire frame element It is connected to the border frame by links Ill which prevent the top from deflecting a material amount outside of the confines of the base frame Ill. The link I8 is pivotally connected at l9 to the border wire l6 and has its opposite end 2| pivoted to a link 22 which is pivoted at 23 to the base frame I0. An additional link 24 is pivoted to the link l8 interjacent its ends and to a boss 25 provided on the frame Ill. The link arrangement permits the deflection of the springs I4 and border wire it and at the same time prevents the spring and border wire from being deflected out of alignment with the base frame l0 any material amount.

Referring to Figs. 4 and 5, I have illustrated a modified form of my invention wherein a plurality of resilient strips 26 form the top spring surface of the assembled units. The strips 26 are anchored at each end at 21 to the base frame I 0 and are joined to a plurality ofcoil springs H which are secured to the resilient strips I2 provided on the base frame l0. The strips l2 are disposed longitudinally of the, frame while the strips 26 are disposed transversely thereof as illustrated more clearly in Fig. 4. In the construction herein shown, three resilient base strips I2 are disposed longitudinally of the frame and support the coil springs it. Each of the coil springs supports a pair of the resilient spring assembly. The resilient strips l2 rest upon the cross brace II and a pair of braces I! are utilized for bracing the cross brace II to the A resilient surface havend of the base frame. ing a soft edge is provided by the assembled springsand resilient strips. The deflection to which the assembly is subjected is sensitive to light loads and at the same time resists material deflection in the presence of heavy loads.

While I'have described and illustrated several embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

l. A spring unit embodying in combination, a base frame, spaced braces extending across said frame, resilient sinuous spring wire elements spanning said frame, said elements being permanently set upon an arch of less radius than the radius of the arch they assume when fixed in place to said frame and cross braces, coil springs supported directly on said resilient elements and connected thereto, a top frame element joined to said springs, and other like sinuous spring wire elements connected directly to the tops of base frame, spaced braces extending across said frame, resilient sinuous spring wire elements spanning said frame, said elements being permanently set upon an arch of less radius than the radius of the arch they assume when fixed in place to said frame and cross braces, coil springs supported directly on said resilient elements and connected thereto, a top frame element joined to said springs, and other like sinuous spring elements disposed across said last frame element above said coil springs at substantially right angles to said first named sinuous spring elements, said last named sinuous spring elements being connected to said coil spring elements and having their ends connected to said base frame.

HENRY HOPKES. 

